Iran and Unintended Consequences

We must pause new sanctions against Iran in order to truly test whether Iran's new president is ready to act in good faith.

Updated Aug. 19, 2013 3:42 p.m. ET

In their Aug. 13 op-ed, Sen. Mark Kirk and Rep. Eliot Engel claim that "Without Stronger Sanctions, Iran Will Go Nuclear." Both this claim and the argument it supports are misleading.

What Sen. Kirk and Rep. Engel fail to recognize is that further pressure will not make Iran more likely to "play ball" with the U.S. Piling on further sanctions at this time is likely to have the opposite effect, providing firepower...